Famous opera masterpieces | Featuring many great opera singers

Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (by Shostakovich)Roiyaru Konserutohebou Kangen Gakudan

Shostakovich – Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk – Jansons (Part 1)

Katerina, who married into the wealthy Izmailov family, lived in despair amid a loveless husband and a spiteful father-in-law, spending her days in sorrow.

Then Sergei began working as a new hired hand, and he and Katerina became lovers, setting her on a gradual path to tragedy.

It’s a distinctive work that draws you deeper and deeper into the world of the opera.

Opera Fidelio by BeethovenRōma Kagekijō Kangen Gakudan

From the New National Theatre, Tokyo Opera “Fidelio” – Fidelio – New National Theatre, Tokyo

The only opera Beethoven completed is Fidelio, whose musical ideas are beautifully interwoven with form and rules.

For opera singers, it is difficult to perform and requires advanced technique, so it is said that those who master the role with their vocal ability are assured of praise and success.

Opera: The Rescue of Ruggiero (by Francesca Caccini)Vuwadisuwafu Kuwoshievichi

Francesca Caccini 1/2 ‘La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina’ (1996) Pro Musica Camerata

Composed during the Baroque period, Francesca Caccini’s The Liberation of Ruggiero is regarded as the first opera written by a woman.

The work was also performed in Warsaw in 1628, making it a landmark as one of the first Italian operas to be staged abroad.

Matador’s SongHoriuchi Yasuo

Yasuo Horiuchi – “Toreador Song” from “Carmen,” 2001

From Bizet’s Carmen, Escamillo’s aria in Act 2.

This aria describes the blood-stirring, rousing atmosphere of the Spanish bullring, but its wide vocal range makes it extremely challenging for baritones.

In recent years, there has been a growing tendency to cast an especially handsome singer as Escamillo, in order to outmatch Carmen’s bold, masculine personality.

Smetana: The Bartered Bride Overture / Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by István KertészBedrich Smetana

This is the Overture from The Bartered Bride, an opera by Bedřich Smetana—born in 1824, a Czech composer, conductor, and pianist.

Beloved by many for its cheerful story and happy ending, the opera is widely cherished.

The overture is very famous and is often performed on its own.

Eri tu che macchiaviDmitri Hvorostovsky

Dmitri Hvorostovsky – Eri tu che macchiavi from A Masked Ball (CSOTW, 17th June 1989)

From Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, Renato’s aria from Act 3.

The singer, affectionately known among opera fans as “Dima,” exudes irresistible charm and has an enduring following, especially among women.

In recent years his career was in jeopardy due to illness, but he made a comeback thanks to his innate vitality.

Pelléas and Mélisande (by Debussy)Uīn Hōsō Kōkyō Gakudan

Schoenberg “Verklärte Nacht” Karajan / London Live 1988 — Schoenberg ‘Transfigured Night,’ Karajan, London live performance

It is a delicate opera that you watch while enjoying a world of fantasy and imagination, with the overall palette colored by the style of the Impressionist composer Debussy, and melodies that progress like spoken language through sung French pronunciation.

Its premiere took place at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in April 1902.